


Catastrophe and the Cure

by hoeziertozier



Series: Reddie Fairytales [6]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe - King Arthur Fusion, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gay, Kissing, M/M, Minor Character Death, Reddie, Reddie Fairytales
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 02:32:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15451440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoeziertozier/pseuds/hoeziertozier
Summary: Once upon a time, in the land of Camelot, there lay a sword in a stone. This sword was said to be the most powerful weapon in all the lands, and only the most deserving could obtain it. When young William Denbrough pulled the sword from the stone, the people bowed. They crowned him the rightful King of Camelot. They believed if anyone could lead Camelot to greatness, it was him, King William Denbrough, the wielder of Excalibur. Together with the Knights of the Round Table, King Bill led the armies into battle, defeated powerful enemies, conquered the lands, and made Camelot the greatest Kingdom in all the realms.But this is not that story.This is not a story about King Bill’s conquests. This is not a story about the happiness of the people of Camelot. This is not a story about greatness and valor. No, this is a story about darkness. This is a story about betrayal. This is a story about turmoil. This is a story about the most dangerous foe Camelot has faced. But above all that, this is the story of how Richie Tozier went on a journey to right his wrongs and save his kingdom, and somehow still managed to fall in love along the way.And it begins with Stan Uris' vision.[King Arthur AU]





	Catastrophe and the Cure

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely inspired by the original legend, Merlin (the BBC show), and the Camelot arc of OUAT. I hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it :)))
> 
> Title taken from Catastrophe And The Cure by Explosions In The Sky.
> 
> [Artwork by @earthskills on Tumblr](https://hoeziertozier.tumblr.com/post/176344934239/catastrophe-and-the-cure)

Once upon a time, in the small land of Camelot, there lay a sword in a stone. This sword was said to be the most powerful weapon in all the lands, and only the most deserving could obtain it. When young William Denbrough pulled the sword from the stone, the people bowed. They crowned him the rightful King of Camelot. They believed if anyone could lead Camelot to greatness, it was him, King William Denbrough, the wielder of Excalibur. Together with the Knights of the Round Table, King Bill led the armies into battle, defeated powerful enemies, conquered the lands, and made Camelot the greatest Kingdom in all the realms.

But this is not that story.

This is not a story about King Bill’s conquests. This is not a story about the happiness of the people of Camelot. This is not a story about greatness and valor. No, this is a story about darkness. This is a story about betrayal. This is a story about turmoil. This is a story about the most dangerous foe Camelot has faced. But above all that, this is the story of how Richie Tozier went on a journey to right his wrongs and save his kingdom, and somehow still managed to fall in love along the way.

And it begins with Stanley Uris’ vision.   

*          *          *

Stan Uris was _not_ having a good night’s rest.

Stan was usually a very calm sleeper. He didn’t roll around in bed or make sounds in his sleep. But that night was different. He was tossing and turning, murmuring incoherent things under his breath, eyeballs moving rapidly under his fluttering eyelids. His body was covered in a layer of sweat, and his blanket pooled at his feet. His arm was stretched out, nudging his companion awake.

Mike blinked blearily as he felt a fist punch him lightly in the ribs. He turned around to see Stan’s body twitching.

“Stan?” He mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. “Everything okay?”

Stan responded with a small whine. Mike propped himself up on one elbow and rubbed his eyes. Once his vision cleared, he noticed Stan’s expression. His brows were furrowed, and his lips were pulled down in a frown. His light brown curls were plastered to his forehead. Beads of sweat rolled down his temple. He looked disturbed.

Mike sat up and shook his shoulder lightly. “Stan? What’s wrong? Bad dream?”

Stan whimpered and clutched at the sheets. His body began convulsing. He was shaking, rattling the bed frame. Mike shook his shoulders with more force.

“Stan! Stan, wake up!”

Stan’s eyes flew open, but they were completely white. Mike loosened his grip slightly. He knew what this meant. Stan was having a vision.

Being one of the two people in the kingdom to wield magic, Stan often had premonitions of the future. They helped in battle strategies and protecting the kingdom. However, they were usually short and never this violent. Whatever Stan was seeing, it definitely wasn’t good.

After what seemed like hours, but in reality was less than thirty seconds, Stan blinked, and his eyes cleared. Grey eyes met warm brown ones.

“Stan? What did you see?”

Stan’s eyes were wide with fear. His entire body trembled. Mike had never seen him this scared before.

Stan gulped. His voice shook as he whispered, “It’s coming.”

*          *          *

Ben Hanscom stood at the balcony, looking out at the kingdom. The night was quiet. Dark clouds hid the stars from view. All of Camelot was asleep. All, except the six who had gathered at the Round Table.

“It’s beautiful even in the dark, isn’t it?”

Ben turned to see a beautiful woman with fiery red locks and calm green eyes that he could get lost in. _Winter fire_ , he thought and smiled warmly.

“True beauty does not need light to be appreciated.” He bowed down. “Lady Beverly.”

She smirked. “Sir Benjamin. It’s good to see you.”

“You too.” He turned to the Round Table, where Sir Michael was seated, rubbing soft circles on Stanley Uris’ back. “Do you know why King Bill summoned us this late at night?”

Bev sighed. “No, it’s not like Bill ever tells me anything anymore.”

Things between the three were tense, especially since Bill had found out about Bev and Ben’s little…  _liaison_. Their relationship was wrecked, trust shattered completely. Bill felt betrayed, his wife and best knight had snuck around behind his back for months. It never occurred to him that he’d driven Bev away with his mindless conquests and thirst for power, leading her to find solace in Ben’s arms.

Ben had loved Beverly Marsh since they were children. She was strong, fearless, kind. She was beautiful, inside and out. All Ben wanted to do was give her all his love. But he was never good enough. Never brave enough, never charming enough, never skinny enough. In short, he wasn’t Bill, who swooped in with his heroism and valor and charmed the woman of his dreams. That didn’t stop Ben from loving her. He knew he’d love Beverly Marsh till his last breath. Even if she never loved him back.

But she did though. She loved Ben, more than she’d ever loved Bill. They were each other’s True Love. And maybe that’s what made Bill angrier. Deep down, he knew Bev was never his.

Ben reached out and squeezed her arm gently. “He will come around eventually. He can’t hold a grudge forever.”

Bev was still apprehensive, but she managed a small smile that lit up his entire world. “Thank you, Ben.”

Bill walked into the room at that moment, glancing their way before completely ignoring them. He sat down in his assigned seat and cleared his throat. “Is everyone here?”

“We’re still waiting for Richie,” said Mike.

Bill rolled his eyes. “Why is the wizard always late?”

As if on cue, the door was thrown open and Richie sauntered in. “Alright Billiam, this’d better be good. I have a maiden waiting for me. If you know what I mean.” He winked.

“If she’s looking for pleasure with you, she’ll be waiting her whole life,” Stan mumbled sarcastically.

Richie grinned. “Your mother doesn’t complain about it.”

“Okay, enough,” said Bill. “We have more important matters to discuss.” He turned to Stan. “You have something to share?”

Stan rubbed his temples. “I had another vision. It…it’s not good news.”

Mike shifted in his seat. “Whatever it was, it was pretty bad. I’ve never seen Stan so…”

“Wait a second,” interrupted Richie. “You spent the night with Stan?” He smirked. “Well, well, well, Stanley the Manly, I never pegged a fair lad like you to sleep with a man out of wedlock!”

“Quiet, Richie,” said Bev, tiredly. “We don’t have time for this right now.” She turned to Stan. “What did you see?”

“It’s less of what I saw, but more of what I felt,” said Stan. “Everything around me was dark, but it was like…I could _feel_ the darkness. It was consuming everything. But it was powerful, so powerful. Nothing like anything I’ve ever felt before. I was- I _am_ scared. And it’s coming.”

“What’s coming?” asked Ben, who’d been quiet until now.

“ _It_ is coming,” said Stan, emphasizing the first word.

Richie paled. “Stan… no. It’s- it’s not- it can’t be.”

Stan nodded. “It is. I’m sure of it.”

“Wait,” said Bill, “what exactly is _It?_ ”

Richie sighed. “Nobody really knows. It’s just this dark entity. Most people believe it to be some kind of demon with dark power. The darkest magic in all the realms. It consumes anything and everything. It makes people go insane, causes the collapse of kingdoms. There’s no dark magic in the universe as powerful as it.”

“I thought that was just a bedtime story,” said Ben, “Created by parents to keep their children in after dark.”

“Yeah,” said Mike, “my parents told me that story, it made me afraid of the dark as a child.”

“Most people believe it’s a myth,” said Stan, wringing his fingers together, “Since nobody has ever encountered it. But my vision- that was real. I’m sure of it. What _It_ is, it’s real, and it’s coming for Camelot.”

“So how do we stop it?” asked Bev.

Richie frowned. “I don’t think we can. There’s nothing powerful enough to defeat something of this magnitude. Sure, light magic can combat dark magic, but even Stan and I together aren’t strong enough to battle this kind of darkness.”

“What about Excalibur?” asked Ben. “Isn’t it the most powerful weapon in all the realms? Surely it can be used to defeat whatever this thing is.”

Bill nodded. “Yes, we can use Excalibur. I will defeat this darkness.”

Stan rubbed his chin. “It may work. Along with Excalibur, Richie and I may just be strong enough. This darkness will need a vessel to contain itself before it can envelop Camelot. If we attack it before that happens and destroy its physical form, we may be able to stop it.”

Everyone was silent for a beat as they exchanged looks. It seemed like a good plan.

Richie broke the silence by sighing loudly. “It won’t work.”

Stan looked at him. “Why do you say that?”

He scratched his head and looked down shamefully. “This is not how I wanted all of you to find out.”

Bill straightened. “What did you do?”

Richie gulped. “Bill, before you say anything, just know I was going to tell you. It’s just you were always so busy and-“

Bill stood up and stopped right in front of Richie. “Richie. What did you do?”

Richie gulped. “Excalibur doesn’t exist. It was some story made up by an old general in our fathers’ army during the First Rebellion. He thought if people believed in something like that, then the king at that time, Bowers, would stay on the throne until someone found it, which they never would, and the Bowers line would rule indefinitely.”

Bill’s jaw clenched. “So you’re saying Excalibur isn’t real?”

Richie nodded slowly.

Bill threw his sword onto the table with a loud _clang!_ Richie winced. “Then what the f-fuck is this?!” Bill’s stutter was back, showing exactly how angry he was.

Richie closed his eyes. “This is just something I conjured up with magic. The Kingdom was in shambles, and Bowers was getting worse with every passing day. You were ready to take him down, but you needed a little boost of self-esteem. I gave that to you.”

Bill’s eyes were red with fury. “You l-lied to me.”

“Bill, I had to do what was right for the Kingdom. We were suffering. It had to be done.”

“You buh-betrayed me!” yelled Bill, clenching his fist. “Fuh-first m-my wife and n-now my b-best fr-friend. You-you were m-my cl-closest confidante and y-you betrayed me. My huh-whole re-reign has been a l-lie!”

Richie shook his head. “No, Bill, that’s not true! Don’t you get it? The sword does not make the King! You are so strong, so brave. Camelot achieved greatness because of you and not the sword. You did all of this-“

Bill punched Richie. He staggered back, clutching his jaw. “What the fuck, Bill?”

“Get out.”

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a chainsaw. Ben flitted his eyes between Richie and Bill. They were both on the verge of tears.

Richie sniffed. “Bill, come on, please-“

“Get. Out. I don’t want to see you again.” He took a deep breath and grabbed his sword before turning back to Richie. “And by the way, it’s King William to you. Now leave.”

Richie sighed. “I’m so sorry,” he mumbled, before disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

Bill turned to the others. “Anyone else have any secrets they want to share and ruin my life?” He glared at Bev and Ben. “You two already had your turn.”

Stan stood up. “Bill-“

Bill shook his head. “Save it, Stanley.” He turned and stormed out of the room.

Mike groaned and rubbed his face. “Well, we’re fucked.”

*          *          *

Lightning sparked across the sky, followed by the loud rumble of thunder. Raindrops splattered against the windows. A small flame illuminated the hut. Richie held his head in his hands. It had been a week since his argument with Bill. He’d spent most of his time wallowing in his guilt. He didn’t regret his actions, he just regretted not telling Bill sooner. He really was going to tell Bill as soon as Camelot was under his control, but Bill was so high on his success that he didn’t want to rain on his parade. And then Bill and Bev got married, Bill continued his conquering lands, Ben and Bev had their affair, and the time never seemed right. Maybe he was just looking for excuses, but Richie knew he’d dragged it on for so long that Bill would be angry no matter when he found out, so he tried his best to prolong the inevitable. It wasn’t his best idea, but Richie never had any good ideas. He may be the most powerful wizard in the kingdom, but he definitely wasn’t the most logical. That title went to Stan.

Richie huffed and pushed his bowl of broth away. He hadn’t been to the castle in a week. He missed his friends. He’d seen Stan and Bev a couple of times, but it hadn’t been enough. He needed to be with them. He hated being alone.

A knock on the door caught his attention. He was out of his seat immediately. He hoped it was one of his friends wanting to spend the time with him and not some vagabond looking for shelter. He opened the door and groaned internally. A short stranger with a cloak around their body and a hood over their head stood soaking in the rain.

“Are you Richard Tozier?” The man’s voice was oddly familiar like he’d heard it before, but he couldn’t place where.

“Depends,” he said, crossing his arm and leaning against the doorframe. He was hit with the rain but it didn’t exactly bother him. “If you’re one of my parents, then yes. I am Richard.”

“I know Excalibur is a fake.”

Richie straightened. “Who told you that?”

“I can help you find the real one,” continued the stranger, ignoring his question.

Richie studied the man in front of him. He was short, but could easily be hiding a weapon under his cloak. Still, Richie had magic and could easily take him down.

“And how can you do that?”

“I know some things that you don’t. I’ll share them, if you’ll let me.”

“And why should I trust you?”

The man took off his hood to reveal his face. He had soft brown hair that curled around his ears, rosy cheeks and slightly chapped pink lips. But it was his eyes Richie was drawn to. He’d never forget those brown doe eyes.

The man smiled at his reaction. “Hi, Richie,” said Eddie.

*          *          *

 _Bill laughed as he held Bev upon his shoulders. “C-come on, Bev_ _! We can defeat them!”_

_Bev grabbed Eddie’s arms, using all her strength to push him off Richie’s shoulders and into the water. Bev and Bill cheered as Eddie resurfaced, spluttering. Richie patted his back._

_“You alright, Eds?”_

_Eddie shoved him lightly. “Don’t call me Eds_ _! We lost because of you and your noodle limbs!”_

 _Richie chuckled and pinched Eddie’s cheek. “Cute, cute, cute_ _!”_

_Eddie grumbled and swatted his hand away. “I hate you.”_

_The group of seven continued playing in the lake until it was almost sundown. It was a hot summer day, and they had nothing else to do. By the time they had to return home, they were completely exhausted, leaning on each other on the way back. Richie had one arm thrown around Eddie’s shoulders. Eddie tucked his face into his neck and yawned._

_“‘M so tired, Rich.”_

_Richie ruffled his hair. “Not as tired as your mother is when I’m done with her.”_

_Eddie shoved him lightly, and Richie reveled in the way his cheeks turned pink. He was so cute._

_When they reached Eddie’s house, there was a crowd outside. Richie saw his parents and Bill’s parents. They were consoling a grieving Sonia Kaspbrak._

_Eddie slipped out from underneath Richie’s arm and ran to his mother._

_“Mama? What’s wrong?”_

_“Oh, Eddie-bear_ _!” Sonia wrapped him in a hug and sobbed into his shoulder. “It’s your father, Eddie-bear! He’s dead!” She wailed._

_Eddie started sobbing in her arms as well. They held each other, crying for Frank Kaspbrak._

_Richie curled into his mother’s side. She was crying too. He looked at his father. He was still in his armor, his expression stoic. Richie knew he was trying to control his emotions, Frank was his best friend, after all._

_“What happened?” Richie whispered._

_His mother sniffed. “Sir Frank was killed in battle, sweetheart.”_

_“Oh.” Richie felt the tears flowing down his cheeks. He’d liked Frank. While Sonia always disliked him and thought he was a bad influence, Frank welcomed him with open arms. Frank treated him like his second son. He treated all of them like they were his own. Sonia disapproved, but Frank’s love was all that mattered to them._

_Being a member of King Bowers’ army, Frank was given a proper burial. It had been hard. Eddie had spent the whole time sobbing into Richie’s shoulder. Richie himself was trying hard to keep the tears away. He had to be strong for Eddie._

_Once the funeral was over, the Losers sat down under a large tree in the graveyard. Eddie’d finally stopped crying and was pulling out blades of grass from the soil. Bev gently covered his hands with hers._

_“Eddie, it’ll get better, I promise.”_

_Ben nodded. “You’ll feel like it won’t, but it will. You just have to hold on.” Ben too had lost his father in battle, so he understood better than the rest._

_“And you’re not going through it alone,” said Stan. “We’re all here for you.”_

_“My mother is moving.” Eddie spoke so softly they almost didn’t hear him. But they did, and they all started speaking at once._

_“Why is she leaving?”_

_“Where will you go?”_

_“She can’t leave_ _!”_

_“When are you going?”_

_“No_ _! She can’t take you away, Eds!”_

_Eddie sighed. “We’re leaving tomorrow. It’s decided.”_

_“Wuh-where will y-you g-go?” asked Bill._

_Eddie shrugged. “I don’t know. Somewhere far away from here, I guess.”_

_“She can’t do that_ _!” Richie protested._

_“It’s not my decision, Rich.”_

_“You can’t leave us, Eds_ _!”_

_Eddie smiled sadly. “I don’t want to leave you, but I don’t have a choice. I’m sorry.”_

_Mike wrapped him in a hug. “We’ll miss you, Eddie.”_

_“I’ll miss you too,” Eddie mumbled into his shoulder._

_The next morning, they all gathered in front of Eddie’s house. His mother had already loaded their things and was waiting in the carriage the King had arranged for their journey. The Losers took their turns in hugging him goodbye, with Richie being the last and hugging him the longest._

_“I’ll miss you so much Eds,” he whispered into Eddie’s shoulder._

_“I’ll miss you, too, Rich.” Eddie stood on his toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. He leaned back and smiled at him softly, even though tears were streaming down his face._

_Eddie waved goodbye one last time before mounting the carriage. That was the last time Richie saw him._

*          *          *

Richie couldn’t believe his eyes. Eddie Kaspbrak was _here,_ in his house. He hadn’t seen him since they were 12, which was almost fifteen years ago. And he thought he’d never see him again.

Richie handed him some dry clothes to change into. “Here you go. You can change in my bedroom if you want.” He pointed to a room behind him.

“Thanks,” Eddie mumbled. He shut the bedroom door softly behind him. Richie turned to the fireplace to make some more broth. He worked almost mechanically, his brain focused on the fact that _Eddie Kaspbrak_ was in his bedroom, changing into his clothes.

A couple of minutes later, he heard the door open. He turned to see Eddie step out in clothes that were a little too big on him. He smiled softly. It was endearing.

Eddie sat down at the table and took the bowl of broth that was offered to him. Richie sat down opposite him. They were silent for a while, neither knowing how to start a conversation.

“So, um,” Richie spoke, breaking the silence, “how are you?”

Eddie put his spoon down. “I’m good.”

“How’s your mother?” Richie grinned. “Does she miss Lil’ Richie?”

“She’s dead,” Eddie deadpanned.

Richie’s grin dropped. “Oh. I- I’m sorry.”

Eddie shrugged. “I’m not. She kept me sheltered pretty much my whole life. I don’t particularly miss her.”

Richie frowned. “What happened once you left?”

Eddie waved his hand. “Doesn’t matter. It isn’t important. We need to discuss other things.”

Right. Richie was reminded that Eddie was here for a reason. “Yeah, um, not that I’m not happy to see you, because trust me, I am really fucking happy, but what are you doing here?”

“Once my mother died, I started clearing up her things. While doing that, I found a box of my father’s stuff. In that, I found his journal. I thought it’d just be about his time in the army, and it was, mostly. But I found a few entries about Excalibur. He wrote about the legend and how he believed it to be true, and that he was going to go looking for it.” He reached into his satchel and pulled out a leather bound journal. He opened it to the last entry and began reading out loud. “I am close. I think I may know someone who may have a lead. I need to find her fast. The King is already suspicious. W has tried to keep him away, but I think he is onto me. I will leave tomorrow at sundown. I hope Sonia will understand. May the Lord be with me.” ”

Eddie crossed his arms on the table. “My father wrote this the day before he died. That cannot be a coincidence.”

Richie leaned back in his chair. “So you think your father knew the location of Excalibur or at least someone who does and was going to find her.”

Eddie nodded. “And Bowers found out and had him killed, and blamed his death on the battle.”

“Eddie… this- this is just a theory. A hunch that your father had. Are you sure it’s even worth something?”

Eddie nodded again, this time a lot more firm. “I am sure of it. I believe my father.”

Richie sighed. “This is more than just about a sword, isn’t it?”

Eddie looked down and played with his fingers. “I need to know the truth, Rich. I need to know if he was murdered.”

Richie reached out and placed his hand over his. “Okay. You help me find the real Excalibur, and I’ll help you find the truth about your father’s death. Deal?”

Eddie smiled and held his hand. “Deal.”

“So where do we start?”

“Well, we need to find this woman my father was going to talk to, but I can’t find her name anywhere. I don’t know who she is.”

“Maybe we should talk to Bowers first. If he knew about your father’s discovery, then he might know this woman. And you can confront him about your father. Also,” he turned to look at the journal, “W. Do you think that stands for Wentworth, my father?”

Eddie shrugged. “Maybe. We should talk to him as well.”

“Well, my parents moved to some remote village on the outskirts of Caerleon after Bill took over.”

“That’s where Bowers fled to as well. It’s a two-day journey. We should leave at sunup.”

“Or I could use my magic-“

“No!” Eddie yelled. “No magic. Please.”

Richie looked at him incredulously. “You don’t want me to use my magic? At all?”

“Please, Richie,” Eddie begged. “No magic on this journey. It’s all I ask.”

Eddie was pleading, and Richie caved. He could never say no to those eyes. “Okay. No magic. I promise.”

Eddie gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”

Richie nodded and grinned. “Alright, Eds, are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?”

*          *          *

“If you’d let me use my magic, we’d be there by now,” Richie grumbled.

“Oh, quit complaining, Richie! It’s barely been two hours since we left Camelot.”

“You should’ve at least let me enchant a cart for us.”

“I told you to borrow a couple of horses from the Royal Stables,” Eddie responded, “but you didn’t listen to me.”

Richie kicked a rock out of the way. “I can’t go to the castle anymore. I’ve been banned.”

Eddie looked at him, surprised. “Aren’t you the King’s primary advisor and confidante?”

Richie ran his fingers through his matted curls. “I… I may have done something to anger the King.”

“Does it have anything to do with Excalibur being fake?”

“Yeah…” He turned to Eddie. “How do you know about that anyway?”

“There’s a rumor floating around the Kingdom. When I heard about it, I figured it was true, and the only person dumb enough to create a sword is you.”

Richie scoffed. “In my defense, it seemed like a very reasonable idea at the time.”

Eddie hummed. “I would’ve thought so too if I didn’t know Excalibur was actually real. So that’s why Bill banned you from the castle?”

Richie nodded. “He’s royally mad at me. It’s understandable, if unwelcome. I guess I deserve it.”

“I would understand if he was giving you a cold shoulder,” said Eddie, “but you’re not allowed into the castle anymore. He’s abusing his power as King to keep you from the Court.”

That was true. Bill was using his position of leadership to keep Richie away. It wasn’t exactly fair. “Bill’s been kind of a prick lately, especially with everything that went down with Ben and Bev.”

“What happened with Ben and Bev?”

“They were caught in a _romantic entanglement_. Bill found out, and well, you can guess how he reacted.”

“Did he de-knight Ben?” asked Eddie. “Because that would be immature, to say the least.”

“He wanted to, but I managed to talk him out of it. Don’t know if he changed his mind in the last week though.”

“So, Bev and Ben, huh? I guess Ben finally got his lady.”

“Oh, it’s more than that,” said Richie, “they’re each other’s True Love.”

Eddie smiled. “Well, good for them! I’m glad they found each other.”

“So did Stan and Mike,” said Richie, smirking.

Eddie turned to him, jaw open. “Are you serious?”

“I’m not sure if it’s True Love, but I guess they’ll get there eventually.”

Eddie looked down. Richie noticed his cheeks were slightly red, whether it was from the journey or something else, he didn’t know.

“What about you?” he asked, nudging his shoulder. “Any special lady in your life?”

Eddie’s cheeks reddened. “I, um, I don’t care much for the female form.”

Oh. Richie grinned. “Any special man?”

Eddie shook his head. “I couldn’t really get involved with anyone with my mother around. I had a few affairs here and there, but never anything serious.”

For some reason, Richie was incredibly satisfied to hear that. It made no sense, so he shrugged it off.

“You?” asked Eddie. He was looking at him with slight apprehension.

Richie shook his head. “No man or woman has managed to capture this Tozier’s heart.” He wipes a fake tear. “Except the lovely Mrs. K.”

Eddie punched his arm. “I can’t believe you’re still making jokes about my mother. It’s been fifteen years!”

“Those jokes are timeless, Eds!” He protested.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Don’t call me that.”

“Ah, you love it, Eds, my boy.”

The two continued on their journey, talking about everything and nothing under the sun. They reminisce about their childhood, argued about Camelot politics, and discussed random things pertaining to their lives. It was so easy to fall back into their usual banter, even after spending fifteen years apart. Nothing had changed at all.

The only thing they didn’t talk about was Eddie’s life after Camelot. Every time Richie brought the topic up, he’d deflect. Something terrible must have happened if Eddie didn’t want to talk about it. Richie didn’t push him though; if he wanted to tell him, he would.

Around noon, they stopped to eat. Eddie perched himself on a rock and took out a bag of berries from his satchel. Richie sat down next to him and pulled out half a loaf of bread. They ate in silence, both too hungry to have a conversation. Once he was done, Richie turned to his companion.

“Can I ask you something?”

Eddie hummed in response.

“Why’d you come to Camelot in the first place?”

Eddie swallowed his food before answering. “I wanted to know more about my father’s death. I visited my old house to see if there was anything she’d left behind, but it was empty.”

“Why’d you come to me?”

“I told you, I heard the rumors, and figured we could help each other.”

Richie looked down. “So you’re only here for business? Nothing else?”

“I-“ Eddie started, but sighed. “I didn’t think there was anything left for me in Camelot.”

That hit Richie like a ton of bricks. It really hurt that Eddie thought they didn’t care about him anymore. “I am. And so are the others.”

“Did you think of me?”

“Every day,” Richie responded honestly.

“I thought you would’ve forgotten about me,” he mumbled.

“I could never, Eddie. I missed you so much, even if I didn’t know it.”

Eddie smiled shyly. “I missed you too, Rich.”

“Come on,” said Richie, standing up and brushing the dust off his clothes, “we still have a long way to go.”

Eddie smiled and grabbed his arm. “Thank you, Richie. For doing this with me.”

Richie blushed. “Of course, Eds. For you, anything.”

*          *          *

They had their first fight four hours after their break.

Richie was pretty exhausted from all their walking, but he was trying to keep up for Eddie’s sake. He let Eddie do all the talking, and listened to him ramble about the various books and manuscripts he’d read after leaving Camelot. Richie wasn’t particularly interested, but he’d do anything to see Eddie’s eyes light up like when he spoke about something he loved. It made his heart flutter.

He was so lost in the sound of Eddie’s voice that he didn’t hear the shouts. Thankfully, Eddie was a lot more vigilant and pushed him behind a tree.

“Get down!” He whispered, pulling Richie along with him.

“What’s going on?” asked Richie, at his normal volume (which was _loud_ ), causing Eddie to slap a hand over his mouth.

“Shh!”

The yells grew louder, and a group of five men emerged from the woods. They were dressed in black and brown clothes and had satchels strapped to their backs. Each of them had some kind of weapon or the other in their hands.

“Bandits,” whispered Eddie. He looked up and seemed to realize how close they were. Blushing, he removed his hand from Richie’s mouth and moved away slightly. Richie didn’t miss the way his eyes flitted down to his lips.

One of the bandits grumbled. “I saw ‘em. There were two o’ dem. One tall, one short. They were goin’ down this road.”

 _They’re talking about us_ , Richie thought.

Another one of the goons hit his head. “Then where’re they at, genius?”

“They’re ‘ere som’ere. Look ‘round.”

“Come on,” Eddie whispered, yanking his arm, “we need to get out of here.”

They snuck out from behind the tree, quietly crouching behind bushes to stay hidden from view. They moved stealthily for most of the part, the only problem was Richie was built like a string bean. His arm hit a branch and _crrrack!_

The bandits turned towards the sound. Richie and Eddie shared a look before Eddie yelled, “Run!”

The two sprinted through the wilderness, dodging bushes and jumping over logs. Eddie was a lot quicker than Richie and was a good three feet ahead of him. Richie ran as fast as he could to keep up, but the bandits were faster, and one tackled him to the ground.

“Oof!” Richie groaned as he hit the ground. Eddie stopped a few feet ahead, kicking dust and pebbles into the air.

“Tol’ ya,” said the bandit who’d jumped on Richie. The others got their weapons ready. “Let’s take ‘im”

“Get away from him!” Eddie cried, rushing forward. One of the goons grabbed him by the arms.

“Oh, you’re comin’ too, midget, don’ think we’re lettin’ you go.”

Eddie tried to pull out of his grip, but he was too strong. “Please, we’ll give you all our things, just let us go!”

The thugs laughed loudly. It wasn’t cheerful or friendly, it was wicked. It made Richie uneasy. He wished he could use his magic; these goons would be knocked out with just a flick of his wrist. But he’d made a promise to Eddie, and he wasn’t going to break it. Not until there was no other option left.

“Oh, small ‘un,” One of the bandits said, “you’ll be worth so much more a’ the docks.” He grinned toothily, showing of his rotten teeth. “Aye, the pirates would love to ‘ave their way with you.” He kicked Richie in the ribs. “We could find som’ing for this ‘un as well.”

Eddie winced. “Don’t hurt him! Please!” He tried to break free from the hold the bandit had on him but to no avail.

He tried shoving the man off him, but Richie had never been physically strong. The man just pressed down harder and held a blade to the back of his throat.

“Try anything funny, and I’ll slit your lover’s throat,” he threatened Eddie.

Eddie gritted his teeth and balled his fists. Before Richie knew what was happening, Eddie had elbowed his captor hard in the ribs and stepped on his foot. The man yelped and stumbled backward. Edde whipped out a dagger from his cloak and slashed the man across his forearm. Another bandit lunged for him but Eddie was quick. He dodged the attack and kicked his attacker in the shin, sending him to ground. He grabbed his sword and took his stance.

“Step away from him,” Eddie growled at the bandit on Richie. The bandit stood up and held out his sword.

“Make another move, midget, and this man dies.”

Eddie smirked. “Oh, I don’t think so.”

The two lunged for each other and their swords clashed. The bandit reached for Eddie but he deflected all his hits. Eddie was incredible. He’d mastered the art of sword-fighting. He was even better than some of the Knights of the Round Table. Richie was in awe. All he could do was stare dumbfounded at Eddie as he swiftly dodged every swing. It was unusually attractive.

He would have continued staring with a lovestruck expression if Eddie hadn’t yelled at him.

“Richie, look out!”

Richie turned just in time to avoid one of the goons who’d swung his club at him. “Fucking hell!”

He ducked under the brute’s arm and punched him in the stomach. The bandit grunted and swayed a little, but otherwise seemed unaffected. He grabbed Richie by the neck and raised him in the air.

“Jee-hee-sus Chr-christ,” he wheezed, gasping and struggling to breathe. He grasped at the hand around his neck and kicked his legs wildly, but to no avail. The bandit was much too strong. He could feel his airway being crushed and shut his eyes. He didn’t have more than a few seconds of consciousness left.

Suddenly, the grip on Richie’s neck loosened and he fell to the ground. He opened his eyes to see the hilt of a sword sticking out of the bandit’s chest. Behind him, Eddie was panting, his sword missing. The other two bandits were knocked out cold.

“Let’s go,” said Eddie, pulling him up, “there were five of them. Which means two are still out there.”

“Where did you learn to fight like that?” asked Richie, following Eddie down the forest trail.

“My father taught me a bit before he died. My mother didn’t really let me learn more, saying it was too ‘dangerous’, so I’d sneak over to my neighbor’s house and practice with the boy next door.”

“Was he one of your aforementioned ‘affairs’?”

Eddie grinned at him. “Maybe. Why do you care?”

Richie felt his cheeks heat up. “Just curious.”

“Don’t worry, he didn’t mean anything.” Eddie winked.

Richie frowned. Why would he worry? It’s not like he was competing for Eddie’s affections or anything. And he definitely wasn’t _jealous_ , not one bit, nope. “Oh-kay.”

Eddie shot him a look that was a mix of smugness and disappointment. “Okay.”

They walked in silence, staying alert for the other bandits. Soon, they reached a bridge over a deep gorge.

“We should be safe on the other side,” said Eddie, stepping onto the bridge. It was dilapidated and swung from side to side.

“Be careful,” said Richie. He hesitated before joining him. The bridge didn’t look strong enough to support both their weights.

“Come on,” said Eddie, turning around to look at him. He was already halfway across. “We need to move quickly, they could be-“

The end of his sentence gave way to a loud scream. The wood under his foot snapped and he was falling through the air. Richie didn’t think, he acted on instinct. In a puff of purple smoke, he was in the air too, grabbing Eddie in his arms, and appearing a fraction of a second later on the other side of the bridge. Eddie was clutching onto his cloak with his whole life and breathing heavily. Richie brought one hand from around his waist to cup his cheek.

“You okay, Eds?”

Eddie blinked and pushed him away like he’d been burned. “Don’t call me that! And I told you not to use magic! It was the one thing I asked! Why couldn’t you listen to me?”

Richie threw his hands up in the air. “If I hadn’t used my magic, you would’ve died! A simple thank you would be enough.”

“You didn’t listen to me!”

“If I had, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now because you would be dead!”

“Well, then, maybe you should have let me fall!”

Richie looked at him incredulously. “What? No, of course not! I just got you back, I’m not going to lose you again.”

Eddie’s face softened a little at his vulnerability. He gulped. “If I ask you not to do something, I have my reasons. All I ask is for you to respect them.”

Richie crossed his arms. “I wouldn’t use my magic unless it was absolutely necessary. I’m not going to apologize for saving your life.”

“I don’t expect you to. You never listened to anyone anyway.”

“Wait, what’s that supposed to mean?” Richie asked angrily, but Eddie was already walking away from him. He grumbled under his breath. Fifteen years later, and Eddie was still just as stubborn. There was no reasoning with him when he was upset. Richie pushed aside his frustration and followed him quietly. He’d ask all the questions that were bothering him once he’d cooled down.

*          *          *

Eddie sat on the rock, trying to light a fire while Richie filled their canteens with water. They’d found a small cave next to a small lake to spend the night in. It was deep in the woods, well hidden from view. They wouldn’t have to worry about bandits finding them.

Richie sat down on the rock next to Eddie, handing him his canteen. He took it with a small smile. Things were still uneasy between them, but not as tense as they’d been a couple of hours ago. They’d made a little small talk, and Eddie had even cracked a smile at a couple of his jokes.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” whispered Eddie, “you saved my life, I should be grateful.”

Richie furrowed his brows. “Why do you hate magic so much?”

Eddie sighed. “My mother. Everything’s because of her.”

Richie remembered Sonia Kaspbrak. She never really liked him or the rest of the Losers, but she tolerated them for Eddie’s sake. Sure, she was a pain, but she was never horrible. From Eddie’s tone, he could tell a lot changed after they moved away from Camelot.

“What happened once you moved away?” Richie asked softly.

Eddie took a deep breath. He was quiet for a while so Richie was sure he was going to avoid the conversation. But then he spoke, surprising both of them.

“After my father died, my mother changed a lot. She- she spent the rest of her life convincing me I was ill. She gave me these herbal concoctions every day, saying they were medicinal, and I believed her, for a while. Until I found out she was just giving me water with a little oil, and none of my illnesses were actually real. She lied to me for so long.”

Richie was at a loss for words. How does one respond to something like that? “Eddie…”

“That isn’t it,” he continued, “she made me feel so weak, so delicate. Like I would die if I left the house. She said I was sick and dirty for liking boys, that God didn’t love me.”

“Fuck whatever she said,” said Richie, “you’re none of those things. You’re not weak or delicate. You’re the strongest person I know, stronger than even Big Bill. You’re so brave and fierce, I mean, you took down three goons twice your size all on your own. I’d like to see anyone else do that! And if you’re sick and dirty for liking boys, then I am too.”

Eddie blushed and smiled at him softly. “Thank you, Richie.”

“Let me guess, she convinced you magic was evil.”

Eddie looked down and nodded. “She said it was a bad thing, and those who wielded it were cursed. That they were servants of the Devil. And- and I guess I believed her. And now I don’t know anymore.” He laughed humorlessly. “Even in death, she has this grip on me. I can never be free of her.”  

From the look in his eyes, Richie could tell there was something else, but he didn’t press. He took his hand gingerly. When Eddie didn’t pull away, he spoke. “She has no control over you anymore. You’re your own man Edward Kaspbrak, you always have been.” He squeezed Eddie’s hand. “I know it seems difficult to trust something you don’t know, but not all magic is bad. Remember when I used to grow flowers and place them behind your ear? Was that bad?”

Eddie smiled. “I used to love it.”

“See?” Richie held up his palm that wasn’t in Eddie’s. A small stalk of yellow _Antirrhinum_ flowers appeared in a wisp of purple smoke. He tucked it behind Eddie’s ear, smiling softly at him. Eddie brought a hand up to feel the flowers. He was trying hard to fight back a smile. Richie pinched his cheek.

“Cute, cute, cute!”

Eddie pouted. “And you’ve ruined the moment.”

Richie smirked. “Oh, we were having a moment?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Oh, fuck off, Trashmouth.”

Richie chuckled. He brushed a few strands of hair out of Eddie’s forehead. “I won’t use magic if you don’t want me to,” he whispered, “I promise. And I mean it.”

Eddie nodded and gave him a thin-lipped smile. “I appreciate it.”

Richie sighed rubbed his knees. “You should get some rest. I’ll take the first watch.”

“Are you sure?” asked Eddie. “I don’t mind-”

“I’m sure. Go to sleep. I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”

Eddie hesitated but nodded after a beat. He set his cloak on the ground and lay down on it. He muttered a quiet, “Goodnight”, before drifting off to sleep.

Richie tried his hardest not to, but he couldn’t help but watch his childhood best friend sleep. He took the time to really admire him. Eddie looked so peaceful like this. His face reflected the amber glow of the fire, showing a splatter of tiny freckles on his nose and cheeks. Richie wanted to map them out like the constellations of stars in the sky. His pink lips were parted slightly, letting out quiet puffs of air. His soft brown curls spread out around his head like a halo. He truly did look like an angel. He was beautiful.

Richie squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. He couldn’t think about Eddie like this. They were childhood friends. He never thought of the others like that, Eddie should be no exception. Never mind that Eddie had always been his favorite and that there had always been something different about his feelings toward him, or that even after fifteen years nothing had changed. They were here together on a mission, and once it was over, they’d probably go back to their old ways. Richie would hopefully be back in the Court, and Eddie would move on to his next adventure. There’s no way Eddie would stay for him, he deserved someone so much better. They weren’t built to last.

Richie sighed and turned to the fire to distract himself. This was going to be a long night.

*          *          *

As promised, Richie woke Eddie up in the middle of the night to change shifts. He was so exhausted, he dozed off as soon as he closed his eyes. When he woke, sunlight was pouring into their little shelter. He blinked blearily and looked around. Eddie was nowhere to be seen. Instantly, he sat up. He was overcome with worry. What if something had happened to him while he was sleeping?

 _Or what if he’s left you?_ A small voice in his head supplied. Richie chose to ignore that and stood up instead. Quietly, he snuck out of the cave. What he saw made him stop in his tracks.

Eddie was standing at the edge of the lake, completely in the nude. Eddie was small, he always had been, but he was well-built. He’d lost most of his chubbiness from their childhood days, and his body was more sharp and defined. He wasn’t the tiny, cute boy Richie knew as a child. _He’s a man._

Richie gulped as he stretched his arms, flexing his back muscles. He let his eyes linger on his shoulders before traveling downwards. He followed the line of his spine, all the way down to the swell of his bare bottom. He stared unashamedly. He knew he it was wrong, this was Eddie for Christ’s sake, but it was impossible to look away. The sight was breathtaking. Eddie was breathtaking.

Eddie turned, and Richie almost stumbled. With sunlight streaming in behind him, and the breeze blowing through his chocolate locks, he looked almost ethereal. Richie wouldn’t be surprised if he was just some hallucination of his.

Instead of being embarrassed at Richie’s blatantly obvious staring, Eddie cocked his head to the side and smirked. “Care to join me, or are you just going to stand there gawking?”

Richie spluttered. “I-I wasn’t- you want me to- should I-”

Eddie threw his head back and laughed. It was the music of the heavens. Richie had no idea how he’d never noticed that before.

“Come on, Trashmouth,” he said, before diving into the crystal clear water.

Richie’d never stripped off his clothes as quickly. He dived right in after his companion. When he came up to the surface for air, Eddie was already looking at him with a fond look in his eyes. He shook his wet curls out of his eyes and grinned dopily.

“Hi, Eds.”

Eddie giggled. “Hi, Rich.”

Richie couldn’t stop admiring him. Eddie was even more beautiful up close, in the sunlight. His eyes followed the water droplets as they dripped down his clavicle and rolled down his chest, and lower, _lower-_

“Are you okay?” asked Eddie, slightly amused. “You look a little pale.”

“Well, all the blood in my body has flowed down to my nether regions, and you, my dear Eds, are to blame.”

Eddie’s face turned bright red and Richie decided it was worth it. He wrapped an arm around Eddie’s shoulder and rubbed his head affectionately. Eddie grumbled and pushed him off, dunking him underwater.

Richie came up spluttering. “Now that’s just mean, Eds.”

Eddie grinned at him smugly. “You deserved it.”

Richie let his eyes flit down to his lips. He wanted nothing more than to press his own against them. He shouldn’t, he knew that, but he couldn’t deny what his heart wanted. It seemed Eddie wanted the same thing, with the way his gaze lingered on Richie’s mouth. His tongue darted out to wet his lips. He didn’t know who initiated it, but they were slowly leaning in, faces mere inches apart.

A loud screech echoed through the forest, causing them to jump apart. Eddie was startled. “What was that?”

Richie groaned internally. They had been _so close_. “Probably some annoying bird. Stanley would know.”

Eddie gulped and nodded. “We- um, we should probably leave. We still have a long way to go.”

Richie scratched his head awkwardly. “Uh, yeah. We should.”

Eddie moved to get out of the lake and Richie dunked himself underwater to avoid looking at him. They were about to _kiss_. Whatever feelings Richie had for Eddie, he now knew they were far from platonic. There was just something about the other man that drew him in. One thing was for certain though. A small part of Eddie felt the same way as well, and that was enough.

*          *          *

They reached Caerleon a couple of hours before sundown. Things were so awkward between them that instead of talking to each other along the way, they hurried to their destination. They had business to attend to in Caerleon, and that would keep them occupied.

“Okay, so how do we find Bowers?” asked Eddie.

“The local tavern is the best place to start,” said Richie. “If there’s anyone in town who knows everyone, it’s the barkeep.”

The small pub was located close to docks and was filled with pirates and travelers. Richie was instantly reminded of the bandits’ taunts. He saw Eddie shrink himself and shuffle closer to him. He resisted the urge to wrap an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders.

They passed a table of drunkards on the way to the bar, who leered at Eddie.

“Aye, he’s a pretty one, innit? I’d love to have me way with him.” said one of the men.

The others voiced their agreements loudly. Eddie wrapped his arms around himself, and Richie was ready to beat them up.

“Ignore them,” Eddie murmured, pushing through the crowd and finding seats for them at the bar.

“They shouldn’t speak to you like that,” Richie gritted out.

Eddie shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time a man has spoken to me like that. I guess that’s what you get for being small.”

“I bet those men would regret every decision they ever made when you have them on the ground with a sword pressed to their neck.”

Eddie shot him a smile. “You wouldn’t. You would probably enjoy it.”

Richie was so glad it was dark in the tavern and Eddie couldn’t see his face. “The circumstances leading to me being in such a situation would be very different, I can assure you.”

“Oh, I am sure of it.” Eddie turned and called the barkeep. He was a burly man with a coarse beard and long hair. He reminded Richie of Ben, but without all the friendliness in his eyes.

“What can I get you, men, today?” he asked.

“We’re looking for a man, Butch Bowers,” said Richie, “do you know where we can find him?”

The man chuckled. “You’re all out of luck, mate. Ol’ Man Butch was arrested by the Queen last month for treason. He’s in the holding cells at the palace.”

Richie groaned. Of course, he was.

“How can you get into the palace?” asked Eddie.

“It’s very heavily guarded. You’ll have to be invited in by the Queen.”

“And how does one accomplish that?” He was persistent.

“Unless you’ve received an invite to the Evening Ball, you’re not getting into the palace.”

Eddie frowned and crossed his arms. His eyes fell on two people in a dark corner of the pub.

“Say…” said Eddie, “does this ball happen to be tonight?”

The barman scratched his beard thoughtfully. “Why, I think it is.”

Eddie grinned broadly. He turned to Richie. “I know how to get into the palace.”

*          *          *

“This is actually a really good idea and I’m a tad bit upset I didn’t come up with it,” said Richie, pulling his coat on.

“It’s risky,” said Eddie, stripping the unconscious body behind the barrel off its clothes. “What if someone knows who they are and doesn’t recognize us?”

Richie grinned. “Ah, Eds, what’s life without a little risk?”

Eddie shook his head. “We’re definitely going to get caught and then thrown into the dungeons along with Bowers for trespassing. Not to mention all the other crimes we’ve committed tonight.” There had been a couple of royal merchants at the tavern, and with the way they were dressed, it was obvious they were attending the Evening Ball at Queen Audra’s Palace. When they were leaving, the two followed them and knocked them out, stealing their clothes and invitation.

“Hey,” said Richie, holding his hands up, “this was your idea. We can always back out if you want.”

Eddie considered this. He was worried about the risk, but his desire for answers regarding his father’s death was more. He shook his head. “What do we have to lose, right?”

Richie slapped him on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit, boy! Now come on, we have a Ball to attend!”

To their luck, they managed to make it into the palace without being recognized. Eddie had let Richie take the lead, and he put on his best Royal impression, spinning stories about their conquests. It was strange how most of the attendees bought everything he said. Richie figured his acting must’ve been that great.

Eddie seemed to think so too. He placed a gloved hand on Richie’s arm and leaned up to whisper in his ear, “You make a convincing Royal.”

Richie smirked. “Well, when you’re the King’s primary advisor, you learn a few things.”

“Is it fun?” asked Eddie.

Richie looked down at him. He was looking around with longing in his eyes. “There are some hard times, I won’t lie. But at the end of the day, I’m with my best friends, it’s worth it.”

Eddie looked at him sadly. “It seems nice. I wish my mother hadn’t taken me away, then I could have been a part of it too.”

“You should come back with me,” said Richie, linking their fingers together. “I’m sure the others would love to have you back.”

“Are you sure? You’re all like a little family, I wouldn’t want to impose.”

“You’re a part of that family too, Eds. You’ve always been.” He brushed some of the hair off his forehead. “Besides, I want you there. Everything’s better with you around.”

Eddie blushed and looked away. Suddenly his grip on Richie’s arm tightened. “He’s here.”

“Who?” asked Richie, turning. When he saw the man Eddie was looking at, he understood. Butch Bowers was wearing a guard’s uniform, and he was staring right back at them, grinning maniacally. Richie gulped as he started heading their way. “Should we run?”

Eddie stopped him. “No, we came here for answers, and we’re going to get them.”

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Tozier and Kaspbrak,” said Bowers, showing off his yellowed teeth. “Aren’t you two a little too far away from home?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be in a cell?” Eddie retorted.

“The Queen is rather lenient. Unlike some rulers we know.”

“You were a terrible ruler,” Richie pointed out. “And I think Bill let you go rather easily, given how you treated the Kingdom.”

Bowers scowled. “That throne belongs to my family. Some stupid sword cannot dictate who sits on it.”

“You were always worried about Excalibur, weren’t you?” asked Eddie. “You didn’t want anyone to find it. And if someone got close, you’d take matters into your own hands, wouldn’t you?”

Bowers smirked. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

“Is that what you told yourself when you had my father killed?” Eddie’s voice was so quiet, it was almost scary.

Bowers had the nerve to grin smugly. “I never thought you’d figure it out, little one. He was so close to finding Nimue, I couldn’t let him.” He sighed dejectedly. “It’s a shame though. William found the sword anyway.”

“Nimue?” Richie asked, but Bowers never heard him. Instead, he was punched across the face by a very angry Eddie.

“Fuck you, you son of a bitch!” He yelled. “You killed my father, and then lied about his death!”

Bowers clutched his bleeding nose. “Your father deserved to die. That’s what he got for defying my authority.”

Eddie punched him again. And again. And again. He was sobbing loudly.

They’d attracted the attention of the other attendees. The music had stopped and everyone was staring at them.

“What is the meaning of this?” A shrill voice spoke out, causing Eddie to pause briefly. The Queen was glaring at them.

“He attacked me!” cried Bowers. “These two knaves are in disguises. They aren’t supposed to be here! When I tried escorting them out, the little one punched me!”

“That’s not true!” said Richie, but the Queen was not having any of it.

“Guards, arrest them!”

Richie grabbed Eddie’s arm and they ran to the exit. For the second time in two days, they were trying to outrun a group of large men with weapons. The guards were hot on their heels. They ran through the palace, turning around corners to throw off the guards. They ran down the stairs and made it to the kitchens, earning strange looks from the cooks.

“Sir, I think you’re in the wrong place,” said a young servant boy. “The Ball is upstairs.”

“We know,” said the two at the same time. A guard ran into the kitchen behind them.

“Stop those two!”

The boy seemed to understand what was going on. “This way!” he said, grabbing Eddie’s arm and leading them through a closed door. He bolted the door shut behind them and led them outside the palace.

“The stables are there,” he said, pointing to a wooden structure a few feet away. “Take one of the horses. The Queen won’t miss them.”

Richie turned to the boy, filled with gratitude. “Thank you. Why are you helping us?”

The boy shrugged and smiled. “Mama told me not do bad things, but I never liked listening to her.”

Eddie grinned and ruffled his hair. “Smart boy. Stay safe.”

The boy nodded. “You too, sir!” He turned and ran into the palace.

Eddie and Richie snuck across to the stables. Eddie ran to the first horse, a brown steed, and saddled it up. He pushed himself up onto its back and stuck an arm out for Richie. “Quick, they’ll be here any minute.”

Richie grabbed his hand and hoisted himself up behind Eddie. He placed his hands on Eddie’s shoulders to steady himself. Eddie patted the horse lightly and it trotted forward slowly.

“Could you go faster?” Eddie muttered under his breath, and the horse neighed loudly in response.

“Shh!” Eddie whisper-yelled, but it was too late. The guards had already heard them and were mounting their own horses.

Eddie tugged on the reins harshly, making the horse run faster, lurching them forward. Richie wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist as the horse galloped across the palace grounds and into the woods.

“There’s too many of them,” said Eddie, “I don’t think we can outrun them all.”

Richie looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, at least six guards were chasing after them, weapons ready.

“They’ve got arrows,” said Richie, “they can hit us from anywhere.”

Eddie cursed. He took a deep breath. “Remember how I asked you not to use any magic on this journey? I think we could use some of it right now.”

“Are you sure?” asked Richie. He knew how hard this was for Eddie.

“We don’t have much of a choice. Besides, not all magic is bad, right?”

Richie nodded. “Right.”

He flicked his hand and the sound of hooves behind them stopped. Eddie slowed down their horse and turned around. Richie had frozen the guards in place.

“How long will they stay like that?”

“Until we’re too far for them to catch.”

Eddie nodded. “Okay. Let’s get out of here.” He snapped the reins and the horse started moving again.

“We should go to my parents’ house,” said Richie, “We’ll be safe there.”

“Where is it?”

“At the edge of the forest, if I remember correctly. It won’t be too hard to find, it’s the only house there.”

Eddie slipped the reins into his hands. “Lead the way, Tozier.”

Richie looked down at him. His eyes were tinged red from all the crying. The skin on his knuckles was torn. “You’re injured,” Richie whispered.

Eddie leaned back against his chest and closed his eyes. He looked exhausted. “Just get us out of here.”

Richie sighed. It was uncomfortable riding a horse with a body in front of him, but he would adjust for Eddie. He would do anything for Eddie. It was strange how much he cared for the smaller man. There was just something about Eddie that drew him in, and he couldn’t pull away. Ever since he’d walked back into his life, Richie felt a sense of completion. It was like a part of him that was missing was finally home. He wondered if Eddie felt it too.

Richie didn’t have to be a wizard to know the implications of his feelings. He knew where things were headed, and they weren’t always good. He's seen what unrequited feelings could do to a person, after all, his best friend was a victim to them. Granted, Bill’s situation was not the same, and he’d lead himself into it, but the outcome was horrible. For all his frivolity and nonchalance, Richie wasn’t so sure he’d survive heartbreak at the hands of Eddie Kaspbrak.

By the time they reached their destination. Eddie was fast asleep, resting his head on Richie’s chest. How he managed to sleep through a two-hour journey on the back of a horse, he had no idea. But Eddie looked peaceful, and he didn’t have the heart to wake him up. He gently pushed Eddie’s body forward so that he rested against the horse’s mane. Carefully, he dismounted the horse and tied it to the iron fence around the house. Somehow, he managed to lift his companion into his arms without waking him up. He stirred slightly, burying his face in Richie’s neck, and then stilled, his breath coming out in small puffs. Richie looked at him, slightly amused but fonder. Eddie was definitely a heavy sleeper.

Richie looked at his parents’ house. The lights were out, meaning they were probably asleep. He hated waking them up this late in the evening, but it was too cold for him to wait till morning. Besides, Eddie was heavy and his arms hurt.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door loudly. He heard some shuffling on the other side. A couple of seconds later the door was thrown open to reveal a disgruntled Wentworth Tozier holding a broom.

“Hi, Pa,” said Richie.

Wentworth opened his mouth, ready to yell at him, but then he noticed the sleeping body in his arms. He sighed and opened the door further. “Come in, son.”

*           *          *

Richie cradled the empty bowl in his hands as he watched Eddie sleep on the armchair. His parents were sitting across from him, watching him carefully. They were waiting for him to speak first. He sighed. “Thanks for the soup.”

Maggie gave him a warm smile. “You’re welcome, dear.”

His father looked between him and Eddie. He chuckled softly. “At least I don’t have to worry about him bearing your illegitimate child.”

Richie turned his head so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. “I beg your pardon?”

“Well, the only reason you’d turn up at our home in the middle of the night with somebody in your arms is if you’d done something really dumb, like knock some woman up. But I’m sure that isn’t the case with Frank’s son, is it?”

Richie crinkled his eyebrows. “What? Pa, no! Why would you even think that?”

“Well, what else are we supposed to assume?” asked his mother. Her eyes lit up. “Are you here to invite us to yours and young Edward’s wedding?”

Richie turned bright red and spluttered. “No- no, we’re- we’re not- we’re just friends- it’s not like that-”

Maggie squeezed his hand. “It’s okay if it is, Richard, your father and I don’t care.”

“I’ve always had a soft spot for Frank Kaspbrak’s son,” Wentworth agreed.

Richie shook his head. “It’s not like that. We’re in Caerleon on business.”

Wentworth raised an eyebrow. “What kind of business?”

Richie hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he should tell his parents the truth. He didn’t want to see the disappointment in their eyes. “We’re looking for information.”

“Did you find it?” Maggie asked.

“Sort of. Eddie did. I didn’t, not exactly.”

“Maybe we can help you,” said Wentworth. “Your mother and I know quite a bit about this land.”

Richie was about to answer, but a soft groan from the armchair stopped him. Eddie was sitting up, massaging the kinks in his neck. He looked around and frowned.

“We’re at my parents’ house.”

Eddie looked at him and a wave of recognition washed over him. He turned to Maggie and Wentworth and smiled shyly. Wentworth slapped him on the shoulder.

“Hello, Edward, sleep well?”

Eddie nodded. “Thank you.”

Richie leaned over and squeezed his knee. “Are you hungry? Ma has some soup ready.”

He nodded gratefully as Maggie handed him a bowl. Eddie was famished; he scarfed down his meal in seconds. He put the bowl down and licked his lips.

Maggie grinned, amused. “There’s more if you want.”

Eddie turned pink and shook his head. “I’m good, thank you.”

“So,” said Wentworth, “Richard was just telling us about your business in Caerleon. He said you were looking for information.”

Eddie looked down and wrung his fingers together. “Y-yeah, about my father.”

“Information about Frank?” asked Maggie. “In Caerleon?”

Eddie looked up to meet Richie’s eyes. He could see Eddie was unsure. He placed his hand over his and squeezed his fingers reassuringly.

Eddie took a deep breath. “It was regarding his death,” he said, addressing Maggie and Wentworth. “I had to talk to Bowers about it. I needed to know the truth.”

Wentworth gulped. “That lying scum had something to do with it, didn’t he?”

Eddie nodded. “He had him killed.”

Wentworth slammed his fist onto the table. “I knew it! I should have done something! It’s my fault…”

Eddie smiled sadly. “Nothing can be done now. It’s alright.”

“I told Frank going after Nimue was a bad idea, but I didn’t do anything! I should have stopped him, changed his mind, or even had his back! It’s my fault.”

Eddie squeezed his arm. “It’s not. Don’t blame yourself. Please.”

“Did he know where Nimue was?” asked Richie. He had a feeling this Nimue and the woman Frank was going to meet were the same person.

“He never told me,” said Wentworth. “All I know is that she was the Lady of the Lake.”

“What lake?”

“Lake Avalon,” whispered Eddie. He pulled out his father’s journal from the satchel. “My father had a small map drawn somewhere,” he said, flipping through the pages until he found it. “Here, Lake Avalon. I didn’t think much of it since Excalibur is supposed to be in a stone.”

“Wait, this is about Excalibur?” asked Maggie. “I thought William had already found it.”

Richie scratched his head. “Yeah, about that…”

“It’s not the real one, is it?”

“I did what I had to do to protect the Kingdom.”

Maggie smiled at him. “I would have done the same if I was in your position.”

“So, you’re looking for the real sword?” asked Wentworth, and Richie nodded. “Well, I would start with Nimue. The Lady of the Lake is supposed to be the keeper of the sword if anyone knows where it is, it’s her. Head to this Lake Avalon, you may find her there.”

Richie exchanged a look with Eddie. He nodded firmly. “We’ll leave at dawn.”

“The lake isn’t too far away from here,” said Maggie. “A couple of hours on foot. Faster, if you have a horse.”

Richie frowned. “We should probably let the horse go, it’s not ours.”

Wentworth grinned. “Who did you borrow from?”

“The Queen.”

Maggie shook her head in disbelief. “Of course you did.”

“In our defense,” Eddie piped in, “our options were limited.”

“If the Queen’s guards come here accusing us of stealing her steed, we won’t be held accountable for your actions.”

“They’ll probably come anyway, we’re wanted men.”

“Christ,” said Wentworth, rubbing his temples, “You two really had an adventure?”

Eddie looked at Richie and smiled tenderly. “The adventure of a lifetime.”

Richie smiled back, missing the knowing look his parents exchanged.

“You should rest up,” said Wentworth, “There’s an extra room on top, with two cots. Linens are in the cupboard.”

Richie nodded. “Thank you, Pa.”

Eddie headed upstairs, but Wentworth stopped his son. “Son, I know you’re on a mission, but be careful. From what Frank told me, the Lady of the Lake isn’t the most innocent person.”

Richie gulped and nodded. “I will.”

“And I know I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but take care of Edward.”

“Of course. I promise.”

*          *          *

They left after breakfast, making sure to set their borrowed horse free on their way out. Maggie had given them some provisions for the journey, but Richie doubted they’d need them. The journey wasn’t too long.

Eddie was quiet for most of the way. Richie filled the silence with his jokes and Voices, trying to make him laugh, but at most he managed a small smile. He was clearly preoccupied with other things.

“Hey,” said Richie, nudging his shoulder when the silence became unbearable. “Are you alright?”

“I‘m fine.”

“Is it about your father?”

Eddie stared stoically into the distance. “I’m fine, Richie.”

“Are you really?”

He turned to look at him. His eyes were damp with unshed tears. “My whole life, I believed he died protecting his kingdom. And now, to learn it was because he interfered in something he shouldn’t have, it’s- it’s heartbreaking. I mean, I wanted to know the truth, but now that I know, is it really worth it?”

“The truth is always worth it. No matter how much it hurts. Would you rather continue believing a lie?”

“I guess not.”

Richie put his arms around him and pulled him in for a hug. “Your father was a hero, no matter what the circumstances of his death. He was so brave, the only one to defy Bowers. The others couldn’t even begin to imagine that sort of courage.”

Eddie smiled into his shoulder. “Thank you, Richie.”

“He would be so proud of you, you know that?”

“I know.”

Richie kissed the top of his head. “Come on, we have a lady to find.”

Eddie sniffed and nodded. He looked a little better, but still had a dejected look in his eyes. Richie figured it would take time for him to make peace with it.

“So what are you going to do once we find the sword?” asked Eddie, as they continued on their journey.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. Give it to Bill and beg for forgiveness.”

“Does he really believe a sword can define who he is?”

“I think it has more to do with what the Kingdom will think. If they find out that the sword isn’t real, there’ll be a rebellion. Hell, I’m sure it’s already begun.”

“What sets the two swords apart?”

“Legend has it that Excalibur is the most powerful weapon in all the realms, and that’s because it can be used as a medium to control magic. My sword cannot do that.”

“Oh.” There was something off about his tone. Before Richie could dwell on it, he continued, “But Bill doesn’t wield magic, does he?”

Richie shook his head. “In the hands of a non-magical entity, the sword is pretty useless. Its political power lies more in the myth surrounding it. People will believe anything if the story is convincing enough. But it’s still safe to keep the sword around. You never know when Camelot may need it.”

They stopped once they reached the top of the hill. A large lake was at the bottom.

“Looks like we’re here,” said Eddie.

“How do we find this Nimue?” asked Richie, looking around. “Do we draw a pentagram and say, “Lady of the Lake, I summon thee”?”

“I’m not the Devil,” a soft voice said. A young, beautiful woman with ivory skin and long charcoal hair stepped out from behind a tree. Her eyes were gold and lips blood red. She wore a long grey cloak. “I don’t require a pentagram.”

“You’re Nimue?” asked Richie, dumbly.

“And you’re the great wizard Richie Tozier.” She studied him and smirked. “I didn’t expect you to be so… _young_.”

Richie gulped. “What did you expect?”

Her eyes moved down his body, and her gaze made him uncomfortable. It was almost like she was mentally undressing him. “Old, wrinkled, long white beard, dumb hat.” She stepped forward and ran her fingers down his chest. She grabbed his cloak and pulled him forward so that their bodies were flush against one another. “This is certainly more my speed,” she whispered, letting her lips brush against the shell of his ear.

He felt Eddie stiffen beside him. He linked his arm around Richie’s and pulled him back. He looked furious. “We’re looking for Excalibur.”

Nimue turned to him and raised her eyebrows condescendingly. “Oh, are you?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “We’re timebound. Are you going to help us or not?”

She smirked. She raised a hand and waved it. Behind her, a large rock emerged from the lake, with a sword sticking out of it. “There it is.”

“How do we get to it?” asked Richie.

“You can walk across, wizard.”

“So that’s it?” asked Eddie. “We just go and pull the sword out?”

Nimue smiled at him sweetly, but there was an undertone of something wicked. “That’s it.”

Richie knew there had to be something more. He didn’t trust Nimue. She wasn’t telling them the whole story. “What’s the catch?”

She looked at him, eyes sinister and mischievous. “There’s no catch.”

“There’s something you’re not telling us.”

“You’ll see soon enough.”

With that, she turned around and disappeared into the woods. Eddie turned to him. “You think you can get us across?”

“Eddie, maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe we should leave the sword alone.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You want to give up now? Once we’ve come so close?”

“I don’t trust Nimue. I don’t think it’s safe.”

Eddie crossed his arms defiantly. “So what? I didn’t come all the way here to give up at the last minute. We’re getting that sword.”

He started towards the lake. Richie cursed and followed him. Eddie was a stubborn little gremlin. There was no changing his mind.

When they reached the shore, Richie realized there was no way for Eddie to cross it. He could walk on water, but Eddie would have to swim.

Eddie pouted at their predicament. “Well, I’m not going to swim. It’s too deep, I’ll drown.”

Despite everything, Richie grinned fondly. Eddie was so cute. He kneeled down in front of him. “Hop on, Eds. I’ll carry you.”

Eddie looked at him warily. “I don’t think you can take my weight.”

“You underestimate my strength.”

“You’re as strong as a sapling, Rich,” he responded, but he climbed onto his back. Richie stood up, swaying slightly with the extra weight. He managed to steady himself and stepped onto the water. Eddie wrapped his arms and legs around him, his breath fanned his neck. It sent chills down his spine. He shuddered.

Eddie jumped off as soon as they reached the rock. Richie felt uneasy. He looked up at the dark clouds. Back in Caerleon, the sun had been shining. Something about this wasn’t right.

Eddie wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the sword. “Ready?”

Richie looked at him and gulped. Eddie looked so determined, a part of Richie wanted him to also. But he hesitated. “I’m not sure…”

Eddie ignored him and pulled. It didn’t budge. He frowned. “I really thought I was worthy enough.”

Richie wanted to tell him, _No, you are!_ But he was also glad the sword was stuck. “Guess we should leave it alone.”

Eddie shook his head. “No way. I’m getting this sword out, even if I have to cut it out of the rock.”

He grabbed it again and pulled harder. This time, it shifted a little, and his eyes lit up. “It moved!”

Lightning sparked across the sky. The clouds rumbled loudly. Richie looked around, afraid. “Eddie, really, maybe we shouldn’t-”

“No!” Eddie used all his might and yanked the sword out the stone. The sky sparked. Thunder boomed. The wind roared. The earth shook. The water in the lake rose into the air and fell, drenching them. Eddie stood, clutching the sword and shivering.

“Is that supposed to happen?”

Before Richie could respond, a dark beam shot out of the rock. It floated around them, enveloping them in the darkness. Eddie reached for Richie, and he wrapped his arms around him protectively.

“What the fuck is going on!” Eddie shrieked.

“I don’t fucking know!”

The darkness around them was like smoke, but it was so powerful. The force was strong, it threw them backwards, all the way to the shore. Richie couldn’t feel anything other than the pebbles digging into his skin. He turned onto his knees and groaned. He looked to his right and saw Eddie’s unmoving form.

“Eddie!” He yelled. He crawled to him and shook his body. “Eddie! Wake up!”

Eddie’s eyes shot open, but they weren’t the warm brown that Richie loved. They were completely black, including the whites of his eyes. It was like staring into the void. His lips curled into a sly grin, and he pushed Richie off him. He was so strong. He stood up and put his boot on Richie’s chest.

“Thank you, wizard,” said Eddie, only it wasn’t his voice. The voice was extremely deep and echoed around them. It was nothing like the soft voice that was music to his ears.

Richie shivered. “E-eds?”

The man above him laughed. It was cold and evil. “Your friend is gone, wizard. I control him now.”

“Who-who are you? What have you done with Eddie?”

“I am your greatest enemy. I am the darkness that everyone fears. I am the darkest magic in all the realms. I am _It_.”

“No,” Richie whispered. He was reminded of the premonition Stan had a week earlier. He gulped. _It_ was here.

Possessed-Eddie stepped away from him and raised his arms. One was clutching Excalibur, while the other was pointing to the sky. The sky behind him was a dark red, with bolts of lightning sparking across it. He laughed maniacally.

“Thank you, Richard Tozier, for bringing me this vessel and giving me life. You will be greatly rewarded in my empire.”

“You won’t win,” Richie growled. “We’ll destroy you.”

Possessed-Eddie smirked. “Your determination is admirable. But here’s the thing wizard.” He leaned down until their faces were inches apart. “You’re too weak.”

He cackled and stood up straight. He shot Richie one last wink before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

The storm had settled down and the sky was clear. The lake was calm. It was almost like the past five minutes hadn’t happened. But they had, Richie knew that. _It_ was here, Eddie was gone, and it was all his fault.

He finally let himself break down.

*          *          *

Beverly sighed as she tightened her corset.

“Are you sure about this?” asked Ben from the door.

She looked at him in the mirror and smiled. “I’m sure, Ben. Besides, it’s only for a couple of hours. Then Bill will go back to treating me like I don’t exist.”

Ben stepped forward and placed his arms on her shoulders, massaging them gently. “I’m sure he’ll forgive us eventually. And if he doesn’t, we’ll still have each other, won’t we?”

Bev turned around and smiled at him. “Of course we will.” She leaned forward and placed her lips on his. He wrapped his arms around her waist as they kissed deeply.

An awkward cough from the door made them pull apart. Bill was standing outside the room, looking everywhere but at them. “We must leave, Beverly.”

She nodded and stepped away from Ben. “I’ll see you when I’m back,” she whispered, before following Bill down the hallway.

There were rumors flying around the kingdom that the King’s life was in shambles. His marriage was on the rocks, his primary advisor had betrayed him, and Excalibur was fake. While all these things were true, they had to pretend otherwise, lest the people start a rebellion. So Bill had decided to make a public appearance, along with Bev and Richie, to show that everything was completely alright. Bev and Bill had to pretend like they were the happiest couple on the planet, and Richie and Bill had to act like the childhood best friends they were. Basically, they had to behave like how they did when Bill ascended the throne. Bev believed she could handle it, she had before.

They sat in the throne room, waiting for Richie. That man was always late.

Bev turned to look at the King. She studied his profile. While he’d been dolled up to look his best for the public, Bev could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He had clearly lost sleep over this whole ordeal. Sometimes, she felt bad for him. Everything in his life was falling apart. But as far as their personal situation went, he was at fault as well. She wasn’t going to feel guilty about it.

“Is there something on my face?” asked Bill, tiredly.

“Have you been sleeping?”

“What is it to you, Lady Beverly?”

“I’m concerned, Bill. I know you do not consider me one, but despite everything that has happened, you’re still my friend. I care about you.”

“It didn’t seem like it when I caught you with your legs wrapped around Sir Benjamin’s neck.”

Bev sighed. “Bill, that’s not fair.”

He shrugged, still not looking at her. “Life’s not fair, Bev. I would know.” He bounced his knee impatiently. “Where in the world is Richie? Can’t he be on time for once in his life?”

The door was thrown open and Bill’s brother, Georgie marched in, followed by Mike and Stan.

“We can’t find him anywhere, brother,” said Georgie. “It’s like he’s disappeared.”

Bill sighed and rubbed his temples. “Alright, thank you, Georgie. Please ensure the crowd outside is kept content, will you?”

Georgie nodded. “Of course, Billy.” He bowed and left the room.

Bill turned to Stan. “Please tell me you know where he is.”

Stan shook his head. “I’ve tried contacting him, but I can’t. I went by his house, but it’s empty. Looks like it has been for a few days.”

“Great. He had to go on a vacation just when we need him.”

“In his defense, you did tell him you never wanted to see him again,” said Mike, earning a glare from Bill.

“If I wasn’t already so angry with him, I definitely would be now,” grumbled Bill.

“Can you go ahead without him?” asked Stan.

Bill shook his head. “The Kingdom needs him to show them my sword is real. Only then will they believe it.”

“I could always-“

“No, Stan,” said Bill, cutting him off. “I appreciate the gesture, but it has to be him.”

Stan nodded. “I understand.”

Bill stood up and paced around the room, wondering what to do. Suddenly, there was a puff of purple smoke and Richie appeared. He was completely drenched. His eyes were puffy and his nose red. He had dry tear tracks streaming down his face. He looked horrible.

Bill heaved a sigh of relief when he saw him. “Oh, thank god you’re-“

“We have a problem.” Richie cut him off. “ _It_ ’s here.”

*         *          *

Ben was the one to break the silence.

“So,” he said slowly, “you’re telling us that you went on a three-day long journey to find the real Excalibur with Eddie Kaspbrak, _our_ Eddie Kaspbrak, who we knew as children, and now he’s possessed by the most powerful dark entity in all the realms.”

Richie nodded. “Yes, that’s pretty much the gist of it.”

“And he has Excalibur and he’s using it as a medium to wield dark magic?”

“Yes.”

Stan ran his fingers through his tight curls. “Gosh, Richie, you really fucked up this time, didn’t you?”

“Stan, I know, okay?” He whined. “You don’t have to remind me. I know what happened. I was there.”

“Why did you even go looking for Excalibur in the first place?” asked Bev gently.

“I just wanted my best friend back,” he said, sadly. He looked at Bill. Clear blue eyes met sad, broken ones. “I-I thought if I got you the real sword you’d forgive me.”

“Richie, do you honestly think I care about a sword?” asked Bill calmly. “I don’t care that the sword is fake. I’m upset because you lied to me. You made me feel like I was some worthy and deserving ruler when it could be anyone else. The only reason we actually needed the sword was to defeat _It._ ”

“Who was released when Eddie pulled the sword out,” continued Mike. “So if you hadn’t gone looking for the sword we wouldn’t have had to worry about _It._ ”

“I’m sorry, okay?” Richie yelled. “But I didn’t know. None of us did. Don’t tell me if any of you had found the actual Excalibur you wouldn’t pull it out.”

Bev sighed. “He’s right. I know I would’ve have.”

Stan scoffed. “Of course you would have. The two of you are the most reckless, along with Bill. No offense.”

She smiled softly. “None taken. But we cannot blame Richie for everything.”

“We need to figure out what we’re going to do about It,” said Ben. “Arguing won’t help.”

Bill nodded. “Right. We need to figure out our plan of attack to take It down once and for all.”

“Ben and I have been working on something,” said Stan, “a device to capture the demon. Once it’s out of its physical vessel, we’ll have to trap it. We’ve created a small chest, a Pandora’s Box of sorts. We can contain it in there.”

“But how do we draw It out of its physical form?” asked Richie.

Stan looked at him with hopelessness. “We’d have to destroy it.”

Richie shook his head furiously. “No, absolutely not. No way.”

“It’s the only choice we have.”

“No, I’m not going to let you kill him. It’s Eds! The same Eds who we played in the quarry with! The same Eds who was basically our human compass and made sure we never got lost! The same Eds whose mother hated us but his father treated us like his own! We can’t kill him.”

“Richie,” said Mike, touching his elbow gently, “We have to do this for the Kingdom.”

“No, please, you can’t. I- I… you can’t kill him. Please. You can’t kill Eds.” He was pleading, eyes filled with tears. “You can’t kill Eds,” he whispered again, so soft that the others had to strain their ears to hear him.

“We have to,” said Bev. “I don’t want to, but we have to.”

Richie stood up straight and wiped his cheeks. “Fine. If you’re planning on killing our best friend, then I don’t want to be a part of it.”

He turned and stormed out of the room, letting the door slam shut behind him. Bill sighed heavily. “I’ll talk to him.” He turned to Mike. “Send the crowd home, we’ll deal with them later.”

Bill followed Richie outside. He was leaning against the balcony railing, looking out at the hills. Bill saw him wipe his tears as he stood next to him.

“If you’re here to change my mind, you’re wasting your breath,” said Richie, staring off into the distance.

“I’m not. I know it’s futile.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m peachy keen, Big Bill. It’s not every day that I see one of my best friends get possessed by the most powerful demon ever, and then have my other friends ready to kill him.” He turned to Bill slightly. “Why do you care anyway?”

Bill hung his head shamefully. “I’ll admit I haven’t been the best lately, but I still care about you, Richie. You’re my best friend.”

“I’m sorry, Bill, I really am.”

Bill nudged his shoulder. “I know. I’m still angry, but I understand.”

Richie looked back at the hills. “We found Bowers. Eddie punched him in the face. It was pretty epic.”

“You care about him.”

“Of course I do, he’s one of my childhood best friends.”

“Not like that. You know it’s not like that. Even when we were children, what the two of you had, it was special. It was always something more than a friendship. You were always _‘RichieandEddie’_ , always one. He’s your other half.” Bill studied his profile. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes were trained on something in the distance. If Bill didn’t know any better, he’d think Richie hadn’t heard him. But Bill knew Richie the best. He knew Richie had a hard time connecting with his feelings. He knew Richie would never admit them out loud. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d even accept them. But he had to let him know he understood.

Richie turned to him slowly, the heartbreak clearly evident in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “I can’t let him die, Bill. I can’t. I just got him back, I cannot lose him again. I can’t.”

Bill nodded, hugging him back. “I know, Richie. I know.”

*           *          *

_Richie blinked. The sky above him was a clear blue. The sun was shining brightly. The grass tickled his skin. Gentle fingers carded through his hair softly. He closed his eyes and hummed in content. Soft lips brushed against his forehead. He opened one eye and smiled at the man above him. He smiled back._

_“I can’t create flowers like you,” said Eddie, “but I found these daisies, and they look really pretty in your curls.”_

_Richie raised a hand to feel the flowers in his hair. “I’m sure I’m the fairest lady in all the lands,” he said, batting his eyelashes._

_Eddie laughed. It was heavenly. “You definitely are.”_

_Richie admired the man above him. He was beautiful. His brown eyes shown with mirth and his pink lips quirked up in a smile. His soft hair fluttered in the wind. He looked lovely like this. Happy and alive and not-possessed._

_Richie sat up and linked his fingers with Eddie. He gave him a warm, reassuring smile, and the dam broke. “I’m so sorry, Eddie. It’s all my fault.” He sobbed into his shoulder._

_“Shh, it’s not,” said Eddie, rubbing circles onto his back. “There’s no way you could have known.”_

_“You don’t deserve this.”_

_“I knew it was coming.”_

_Richie frowned at him. “What do you mean?”_

_Eddie rubbed his neck. “Before I came to Camelot, I had a nightmare… or maybe a vision. I don’t know. But I could see myself, overcome with darkness, destroying the world. I-I didn’t know what to make of it. I thought it was because of magic. That’s why I didn’t want you to use your magic. I thought you’d somehow curse me or something. I guess I was wrong.”_

_“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”_

_“I’m sorry, I should have. I thought I could avoid it. I didn’t want it to be real.”_

_“I didn’t tell you about Stan’s vision either. If I had, we could have avoided this.”_

_“We didn’t. But we can still stop It.”_

_Richie looked away uneasily. “None of the outcomes are favorable.”_

_“It is weak right now. That’s how I can talk to you. It needs more strength. It’s going to target the rebels at Camelot. You need to stop it before that happens.”_

_“What’s your plan?”_

_“Use Excalibur. Kill me. Once It doesn’t have a physical vessel, trap it. You and Stan use Excalibur to destroy It once and for all, and Camelot is saved.”_

_“You aren’t.”_

_Eddie smiled at him sadly. “Every battle has its acceptable losses.”_

_Richie shook his head. “No way. I’m not going to let you die.”_

_“Are you really willing to sacrifice your Kingdom for me?”_

_Richie wanted to say,_ Yes! Yes, I am! A thousand times if I have too! _But he couldn’t. He knew he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t choose Eddie over Camelot, no matter how strong his feelings were._

_Eddie squeezed his hand. “You have to let me go, Richie.”_

_“I can’t, Eds. I can’t.”_

_“You have to. There is no other way.”_

_Eddie was right. Deep down, Richie knew this. His world shattered. There was no hope left._

_Eddie kissed his cheek. “I have to go,” he whispered. “It will be back soon. Promise me you’ll do what needs to be done.”_

_“I...I…”_

_“Promise me, Rich.”_

_Richie sighed sadly. “I promise,” he whispered quietly. “I can’t believe I’m already going to lose you. We need more time. Our story cannot be over.”_

_“You’re not going to lose me. I’m going to be with you the whole time, right here.” Eddie placed his hand over his heart and he raised his own to link their fingers together._

_Eddie leaned forward, touching their foreheads together. “Thank you for the adventure of a lifetime, Richie Tozier. There’s nothing else I would have wanted to spend my last days doing.”_

_Richie let his tears fall. He figured this was the last time he was going to speak with Eddie, so he might as well say it._

_“Eddie, I-”_

Richie shot up in his bed. He rubbed his eyes. They were still wet. He’d managed to connect with Eddie in his dreams, and their conversation was fresh in his mind. He was devastated, but he had a job to do first. He kicked off the blankets and pulled on his robes. He appeared with a puff of purple smoke in the castle. He shook the figure in the bed wildly.

“Bill, wake up!”

Bill woke up with a start, nearly punching the living daylights out of the wizard. “Richie! What the fuck?”

“I’m ready to stop It, and I have a plan.”

*          *          *

The army stood at the edge of the kingdom, ready to attack when necessary. The six Losers were right in the front. Bill was on his stallion, Argentum, with the fake Excalibur in its sheath strapped to his waist. Bev was to his left, perched on her own horse, with her helmet under her arm. Her red curls fluttered in the wind, her expression fierce. To her left was Ben in his armor, ready for battle.

To Bill’s right was Richie, who was igniting and extinguishing his fingers, like he did when he was nervous. Stan kept shooting him annoyed looks. Richie was antsy, and it was getting on his nerves.

“Will you stop!” hissed Stan. “You’ll set your cloak on fire.”

Richie grinned at him. “You’d love to see me naked, wouldn’t you, Stanny?”

“Glad to see you can make jokes at a time like this,” muttered Mike, tucking his spyglass into his armor. He turned to Bill. “I don’t see any movement.”

“Could he have entered through one of the other sides?” asked Ben.

Stan shook his head. “Not possible. Richie and I put up barriers everywhere except here.”

“But he has magic,” Bev pointed out. “He could easily take them down.”

“We’d know if It did,” said Richie. “Besides, It will be here, It wants to watch us lose.”

Stan looked at him. “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m positive.”

“Will you do what is necessary when the time comes?”

Richie gritted his teeth. “Yes, Stanley.”

“We’re all relying on you, Richie. If you don’t, we are doomed. We should have a backup plan just in-”

“He’ll do it,” Bill cut in. He looked down at Richie with trust and conviction. Richie nodded firmly. It would kill him, but he had to, for Camelot.

“I’ll do it.”

“Richie, you need to remember that isn’t Eddie,” said Bev softly, “don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment.”

“He’s still in there, Bev. I know he is. I just have to get to him.”

“But if you cannot, still attack. Do not wait for him.”

 _I’ll wait for him forever if I have to,_ he thought, but didn’t say it out loud. If the others had even an inkling that he wasn’t ready, they’d lock him up and fight the battle on their own, and Eddie would really be gone forever. He had to act like this wasn’t tearing him apart.

“It will work,” he said, with all the confidence he could muster. “Have faith.”

Ben nodded. “I believe in you, Richie. We can win this.”

Richie shot him a thankful smile. “Thanks, Haystack. At least someone trusts me.”

“A terrible decision, really,” Stan mumbled.

Richie opened his mouth to retort, but the sky rumbled to life. The Earth shook. Lightning illuminated the sky. He sucked his breath in. “It’s coming.”

Two bolts of lightning struck the ground. There was a giant puff of black smoke. Once it cleared, Richie could see Possessed-Eddie standing, giving them an amused look.

“Do you really think an army can stop _me_?” His voice echoed around them, just like it had at the lake. He laughed, loud and malicious.

“We’re not going to let you win!” said Bill, bravely.

Possessed-Eddie smirked. “You mortals are so naive, it’s endearing. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

He raised his hands, and a large army of men stepped out of the shadows. As he peered closer, Richie realized they were faceless. They were a product of dark magic.

“Let’s see how great your army really is, King Bill.” Possessed-Eddie flicked his hand, and his magical soldiers lurched forward.

Bill took out his Excalibur and raised it in the air. His army cried out loud in unison before running ahead into the battle. He turned to Richie and Stan. “Keep Eddie busy. We can’t have him creating more of those things.”

“It’s not Eddie,” Richie muttered under his breath but nodded along. “Be careful out there, all of you.”

Bill nodded. “You too.” He snapped his reins and yelled, “HI-YO, SILVER AWAY!” and Argentum galloped forward into battle.

Richie looked around. He couldn’t see Possessed-Eddie anywhere. He’d disappeared from the battlefield.

Stan noticed too. “He’s not here. We need to find him fast.”

“Eddie told me It might go for the rebels, to strengthen itself.”

“I’ll go check on them.” He disappeared in a puff of blue smoke.

Richie scanned the battlefield. Bill’s army seemed to be winning. Since the enemies were created by magic, they weren’t all that hard to take down. One swipe with a sword and they disappeared into thin air. The only issue was that they were really large in number. And for every one soldier that fell, two appeared in its place. Still, the Camelot army seemed to be holding its own so far. That was a good thing.

“They’re just a distraction,” a voice said from behind him. He spun around to see Possessed- Eddie standing a few feet away. His head was cocked to one side, his lips curled into a cruel smirk. “I don’t care about Camelot’s army, not at this moment anyway.”

“You’re just trying to weaken them, and you’ll attack when they’re not strong enough to fight back.”

Possessed-Eddie grinned. “You’re smart, wizard. I could definitely use you on my side.”

“I think I’ll pass.”

“What if I offered you something you wouldn’t be able to deny?”

“I don’t think something like that exists.”

“If you joined my side, you and Edward could be together.”

Richie paused. Possessed-Eddie smirked. “I have your attention, don’t I?”

“Eddie’s gone. You said so yourself.”

“Join me and I can bring him back.” The other man stepped behind him and ran his fingers across his shoulders. He stood on his toes and whispered in his ear, “You could see him, touch him, kiss him. You could tell him how you really feel, and the two of you could live happily ever after. Wouldn’t that be so nice?”

Richie gulped. It was an enticing offer, but he knew better than to trust a demon with dark magic. “I’m not interested.”

Possessed-Eddie pouted. “That’s too bad. Edward was so sure you would say yes. I guess I’ll have to break his heart.”

Richie couldn’t tell if the demon was tricking him. If It really did have control of Eddie’s mind but could still communicate with his subconsciousness, did that mean It knew their plan? Were they compromised before the battle had begun?

He balled his fists. “I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t expect you to. Doesn’t mean I’m not telling the truth.”

“Don’t listen to him Richie.” Stan came up and stood beside him.

“Finally,” grumbled Richie, “your mother’s faster than you.”

“At least I was being useful,” he shot back. He turned to Possessed-Eddie. “Enough chit-chat. Let’s get this over with.”

Richie and Stan stood shoulder to shoulder, their arms stretched out in front of them. Beams of white light shot out of their palm, but Possessed-Eddie managed to block the blast with Excalibur.

“Come on, Richie!” Stan yelled. “Harder!”

“You sound just like your mother last night!”

The two wizards used all their power and concentrated it on harming the demon. It wasn’t very strong like Eddie had said, and It couldn’t hold off the magic of two of the most powerful wizards in the land for too long. Possessed-Eddie’s feet started slipping and he was slowly pushed behind by all the force. His face contorted. He bit his lip and furrowed his brows. At that moment, he looked a lot like the real Eddie. Richie faltered. That was all it took to turn the tables.

It pushed back with all its dark magic, sending Stan and Richie tumbling behind. The force of the two kinds of magic clashing was strong. There was an explosion, sending the three of them flying back.

Richie groaned, clutching his head and sitting up. He was slightly light headed. He crawled over to Stan, who was stirring slowly. He’d hit a rock on impact, slicing his head open. Richie raised his hand, healing his injury. He looked across to Eddie’s body lying still on the ground. All his senses came back to him at once. He was on his feet in seconds and running to him.

“Eds, wake up!” Like at the lake, he shook his shoulders. And like at the lake, when Eddie opened his eyes, they were completely black.

Possessed-Eddie threw Richie back. He pushed himself off the ground prepared himself for a confrontation, but the demon was quicker. Possessed-Eddie raised an arm and pointed it at his neck. Richie felt his airways closed. The other man raised his hand higher, lifting Richie into the air and choking him with his magic. It was like with the bandit, but much stronger.

“You fool!” His voice boomed. “I told you, you would never win. Love has made you weak!”

“Eds,” Richie croaked out. “I know you’re in there.”

“You should never love, wizard. It destroys you.”

“You’re Eddie Kaspbrak,” continued Richie, ignoring the demon. “Your favorite season is summer. You loved playing outside in the sun. Whenever we would play at the quarry, you’d always get on Bill’s or Mike’s shoulders, sometimes mine. But you hated being on mine. You always thought I wobbled too much.”

Possessed-Eddie frowned. “He cannot hear you, wizard. He’s gone.”

“You loved it when I created flowers out of my magic and placed them in your hair. You told me you did on our little adventure. You remember that?”

A flicker of recognition passed across Possessed-Eddie’s face, but his hold didn’t loosen.

“Please, Eds,” Richie pleaded. “I know you’re in there. I know you can hear me. Fight It. I know you can. You’re strong.”

Richie felt more air enter his lungs, and he knew it was working. “You’re so strong, Eddie, my love. The strongest person I know. You can fight this, I know you can. Please, just come back to me.”

Possessed-Eddie gasped and loosened the hold he had on Richie’s neck completely, dropping him to the ground. When he looked up, he was looking back into the brown doe eyes of Eddie Kaspbrak.

“Richie, oh my god,” he sobbed.

Richie held him in his arms. “I knew you were still in there.”

Eddie shook his head. “We don’t have much time. I don’t think I can hold him off for much longer. You have to do it now.” He pushed Excalibur into Richie’s trembling hands.

“Eddie, no, I can’t…”

“Richie, we discussed this. You have to.”

“There has to be another way!”

“There isn’t. It’s now or never, Richie. You need to do it.”

Richie looked up at him. Tears were streaming down his face, but he was giving him a reassuring smile. “You can do it, Rich. I know you can.”

He sniffed. His face was wet too. “Things aren’t supposed to be like this. You have so much left to do.”

Eddie grabbed his hand. He raised his knuckles to his lips and placed a soft kiss on them. “I’m going to spend my last moments with Richie Tozier, the greatest wizard in all the realms. If this is how things are, I’ll take it.”

Richie gripped the hilt of the sword tightly. It was heavy with all the dark magic contained in it. He pressed the tip against Eddie’s abdomen lightly. He cupped his face with his other hand. “I’m so sorry.”

Eddie turned his head and placed a soft kiss to his palm. “I forgive you.” He smiled at Richie calmly. He was ready.

Richie took a deep breath and pushed the sword in. Eddie shut his eyes and winced in pain. The ground quaked. The clouds sparked with lightning. Thunder echoed. The battle around them ceased.  

When Eddie opened his eyes, they were black and wide with horror. His body spasmed. A long rope of darkness shot out of his mouth.

“Stan!” Richie yelled.

“I’m on it!” Stan opened the box and used his magic to draw the darkness in. Once It was trapped successfully, he locked the box.

Richie pulled the sword out, and Eddie went limp in his arms.

“Eds, oh my god,” he cried, trying to cover the large scarlet stain on his abdomen. “Eds, stay with me, please.”

Eddie smiled at him tiredly. “Richie.”

“Don’t talk, Eds, please. You’re going to be okay.”

He raised a hand and touched his cheek. “Don’t call me Eds. You know I… I…”

Before he could finish the sentence, his eyes shut and his hand fell. Richie sobbed. “No, Eddie! Please, no! Wake up!”

He felt a hand squeeze his shoulder. He looked up to see Beverly. She was crying too.

“He…he’s gone,” he whispered sadly.

“I’m so sorry, Richie.” She choked out a sob.

Richie leaned down and rested their foreheads together. “I love you, Eddie.” He placed a soft kiss against his lips.

There was a sudden force of magic that hit everyone. He looked around, confused. “What was that?”

Before anyone could respond, the man in his arms shot up, gasping for air.

“Eddie? What the fuck?”

Eddie was just as shocked as him. “Wha- what happened?”

“True Love’s Kiss,” Ben whispered from behind. “The most powerful magic in all the realms.”

Eddie and Richie exchanged a look of pure adoration before throwing their arms around each other.

“You saved me,” Eddie whispered into his neck.

“I didn’t think it would work,” answered Richie, honestly.

Eddie gave him a look of disbelief. “Did you really think I didn’t love you?”

“Why would you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Richie beamed. “I love you, Eds.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Not when you call me that.” He looked at the wizard fondly. “But I love you, too.”

Someone cleared their throat behind them. They turned to see Stan holding Excalibur. “I hate to interrupt, but we still need to destroy It for good.”

Richie nodded. He gave Eddie a quick peck before standing and joining Stan. They held the hilt of the sword together and pointed it at the box. A giant beam of light magic shot out of the sword, stronger than anything they’d ever felt. The box shook with the impact. There was a blinding light. When it cleared, the box was gone and Excalibur felt much lighter.

“Is it done?” asked Mike. Richie wasn’t sure, but Stan nodded.

“Yes, I can feel it.”

“How?” asked Richie. “I can’t.”

Stan glared at him. “I can assure you we succeeded.”

Mike placed a hand on his shoulder. “Alright, Stan. I believe you.”

“What should we do with the sword?” asked Bev.

Everyone turned to Bill, who’d been silent the whole time.

“It’s your decision, Bill,” said Richie. “What do you want to do?”

Bill hesitated. “Take it back. I don’t need it.” He patted his sheath. “I have my own.”

Richie grinned. “The sword does not make the King.”

He smiled back. “The sword does not make the King.”

Richie looked around. Eddie was being helped up by Ben, Stan and Mike were locked in an embrace, and Bill and Bev were helping their injured soldiers. He took a deep breath. The air was pure. He could not feel the presence of any kind of dark magic. He smiled. Things had worked out in their favor.

*          *          *

Richie yawned and stretched his limbs. He blinked and looked around before he remembered where he was. Eddie had been living in the castle this past week, and Richie would spend most nights with him. Speaking of the other man, Richie patted the other side of the bed, only to find it empty. He frowned. He turned to see Eddie standing at the balcony, his too-big white shirt fluttering around his small frame. He smiled fondly at the sight of his lover in clothes. He pulled on his own trousers and joined Eddie outside, wrapping his arms around his waist and setting his chin on his head. He felt the shorter man relax in his arms.

“Couldn’t sleep?”

Eddie shook his head. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up possessed.”

Richie placed a soft kiss on his head. “You won’t. We destroyed It.”

“I know, it’s just, it seemed too easy.”

Richie scoffed. “I can assure you, stabbing you was not easy for me.”

“That’s not what I mean.” He sighed. “It’s just…is It really gone?”

“We have to believe Stan’s box worked.”

Eddie looked up at him, brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight. “Do you?”

He nodded. “I do. And even if It does come back, we’ll take It down. There’s seven of us now.”

Eddie smiled and leaned against his chest. “The lucky seven.”

“We’re invincible together.”

They stayed for a while enjoying the silence of the night. It was so quiet, Richie was sure Eddie had fallen asleep in his arms. But when he looked down, tears were flowing down his cheeks.

“What’s wrong, love?” He asked gently, turning him around.

Eddie shook his head. “Nothing. Happy tears.”

Richie smiled and wiped them away, leaving a kiss on each cheek.

“I didn’t think my life would turn out like this,” Eddie confessed. “When I was with my mother, I thought I’d be trapped forever. I’d never be free of her clutches. I’d never felt so hopeless. But then she died, and I came back home. I reconnected with old friends and went on an adventure with my One True Love.” He chuckled. “Even though I was possessed by the darkest entity in all the realms and almost died, things turned out for the better.” He wrapped his arms around Richie’s neck and looked at him with deep affection. “I got really lucky.”

Richie smiled at him tenderly. “I think I got luckier.” He leaned down and placed a long, deep kiss to his mouth. It was soft and sweet and warm and intimate. They fit together like two halves of a whole like they didn’t belong anywhere except in each other’s arms. If this is what True Love felt like, it’s all Richie ever wanted.

They broke apart and rested their foreheads together. Eddie sighed against his lips. “I’ll never get tired of that.”

“I love you, Eddie.”

Eddie kissed him again. “I love you so much, Richie.” He looked at him and stroked his cheek. “You’re my happy ending.”

Richie’s heart swelled at the thought. “You’re my happy ending too, Eds.”

There were still some things to figure out. Eddie still had to find his place in Camelot, and Richie was still mending his friendship with Bill. They couldn’t be absolutely certain It was never coming back. The threat of new enemies always loomed, and they still had to protect the kingdom from existing ones. But this was for sure: no matter what next adventure life brought their way, Eddie was by his side through them all, for better or for worse. They’ll fight every battle, face every challenge, defeat every foe, together. And Richie was certain of one thing. No matter what the odds, they’ll live happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you Shannon for beta reading this and including me in this project!
> 
> Feedback is greatly appreciated, I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments or on tumblr :D
> 
> [tumblr: hoeziertozier](https://hoeziertozier.tumblr.com)


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